This clip from Fist of Fury (1994) shows three types of bada chagi that could complement your Choi Kwang Do training. As of syllabus version 9.5, 2015-02-05 the entry for bada chagi defence drill states,

Defense Drill 7 (Bada Chagi)Starting from hands down natural stance, one side attempts to attack. The partner quickly counters with a kick and follows up with 3-5 techniques. The first partner dodges or blocks lightly to allow the second partner to execute multiple movements freely.

The Korean "bada" means stopping or intercepting, and "chagi" means kick. I have seen some variety in how bada chagi defence drill is performed across schools. There is bada chagi with the "attacker" performing a punch, trying to make light contact with the "counter-attacker". Some schools perform a threatening gesture. I think the attacker should be using a guard and should try to make light contact with the counter-attacker, so that the person counter-attacking can train a realistic response to a realistic threat.

Where do kicks fit in the initial attack of a bada chagi defence drill? They make the drill more difficult and more risky than any hand technique. Kick on kick collision must be avoided in order to prevent injury and train an effective response. I would say that they can be part of a safe drill, but it is not good for bada chagi beginners to be starting the drill with a kick. Below are some suggestions as to how you can train bada chagi responses to kicks.​ ​I suggest you train these scenarios individually at first to build muscle memory and some instinctive response. Then you can experiment mixing these and making the initial attacks more random. Advanced practitioners can aim to respond effectively to any hand or foot technique, using the three types of response below:

1) A cross-step side kick. Jet Li uses a long range kick to stop his opponent from advancing. This can be trained on the air shield, with the holder advancing from two paces outside of striking range. In general, front leg kicks are faster than rear leg kicks and are better for bada chagi drills. Li's cross-step kick combines the speed of the front leg with increased range. Alternatively, a rear leg heel kick could be useful in a "long bada chagi" because it has more range than font leg heel kick. In a defence drill, the attacker's guard makes it important for the counter attacker to choose a good target, don't kick them in the guard (glove/arm/elbow/shoulder)!

2) Counter a high kick by shifting to rear dynamic guard stance then kick. Shifting the body weight to the rear leg, bending your knees (coiling the spring) and moving your head off-center can be enough to evade a high kick. Li counters with a heel kick, a solid stopping kick. When it comes to high kicks you do not want to block against them... this usually leads to bruised forearms. If you have a training partner who can kick high you can train this as a defence drill, otherwise you can train this response with an air shield and a blocker.

Most schools I have visited train bada chagi shield drill with a mix of "long" and "short" exercises, where the shield advances from outside kicking range, or the edge of kicking range. To train a bada chagi response to a high kick, using a shield, hold the shield with one arm and hold a blocker (or pool noodle) in the other (aka Gladiator setup). The shield holder swings the blocker toward the head of their partner to simulate a high kick. Make sure to keep the shield facing forward!

3) Side step a forward kick (such as front kick, side kick, heel kick or downward kick). An essential component of performing the counter attack drills (defence drills no. 5 upward), the side step is useful in bada chagi if you step with one leg and kick with the other. In the freeze frame that the video finishes on you can see how Li has moved out of the "line of fire". Having stepped to the right, shifting his weight on to his right leg, his next move is to kick with his left leg. A swing kick (ball of foot) would allow him to target his attacker's knee or solar plexus.

I hope this post can catalyse some new ideas and ways to train your CKD bada chagi drills. If you have any comments, questions or disagree with anything written please comment below.

"It pleases me and seems right that what is of value and wisdom to one person seems nonsense to another." - Buddha